It's Never Easy
by JadeRent
Summary: Ichigo and Rukia really don't make things easy for themselves. Just random thoughts about why they think it's okay.


Disclaimer: I don't own Bleach, I would probably mangle it.

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It's Never Easy

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Ichigo never had it easy. His world was meant to be painful. His stresses ranged from the little things like having an insane father who attacked him on a daily basis under the guise of 'parental bonding', to the larger things like being persecuted for something as stupid as his hair color. Not to mention the life changing stress that caused by growing up being able to see ghosts and most painfully, watching his mother die protecting him. If all of that wasn't enough to cause some serious difficulty in growing up normal and happy, Ichigo had to deal with shinigami duties, hollows, arrancar, and all out war.

He figured he just wasn't meant to be happy. He wasn't meant to go a day without some form of pain putting a scowl on his face. So it made sense that even when it came to something normal, Ichigo would have a hard time of it. It would have been easy to fall in love with and be with, say someone like, Orihime. It would have been easy for them to laugh together, love together, and grow old together. Except for when it came to cooking, but that was still easy in comparison to what Ichigo was destined to face. Yes, Ichigo resigned himself to always have it hard, to take the difficult route. He had to have conflict, fighting, and screaming in his life. It was the easiest and hardest thing to fall in love with Rukia. Easy because it felt so natural. She changed his world, made the rain stop. But damn, she was the most difficult girl to love. She wouldn't let him protect her like he wanted to, she constantly put herself in danger, not to mention she had the scariest older brother ever. Sure, Orihime's older brother was a hollow for awhile, but that was still nothing compared to Byakuya.

It just wasn't fair, Ichigo thought as he held the door open for his friends. Orihime passed him with a smile and said, "Thank you Kurosaki-kun!" Then Rukia passed and punched him in the gut. "I can open a door myself you know."

Holding his sore stomach Ichigo shook his head and rolled his eyes. No. He never had it easy, he would always be in a world of hurt. But maybe…that was just the way he liked it.

Rukia never had it easy. Her life wasn't ever the sunniest. Abandoned as a baby, forced to fight for her survival in one of the cruelest districts in Rukongai, growing up with Renji…she was raised in adversity. But then Rukia worked hard so that she could make something of herself, live a life that wasn't full of senseless peril. She thought becoming a shinigami would make her happy. Instead she lost her only friend and person she could call family to be brought into a cold, judgmental world of nobility and rules. Her world got colder. It was no wonder she had an ice/snow zanpakuto. When she did meet someone who warmed her up a bit, his light was quickly extinguished, and she was the one who carried the guilt of snuffing it. Then, if things couldn't get any worse, when she received orders to do work in the living world, all hell had to break loose. She had to meet Ichigo. She had to save Ichigo. And of course, she had to fall in love with Ichigo. As much trouble as he caused Rukia, the way he made her feel warm again was worth every scar, every broken rule, every migraine he happened to be the cause of.

She felt one of those coming on now as Ichigo grumbled and complained about her punching him. "You'd think you could appreciate all the crap I do for you Rukia! You're such a freaking hassle!" She stopped in her tracks causing him to bump into her back and then she swiftly turned around to glare and point a finger in his face. "Do I have to remind you why we're here in the first place? I told you to start carrying Kon around so you're body wouldn't end up in places like this! Do you know how many memories I'm going to have to modify just because you're not manly enough to hold a stuffed lion?!" Rukia shivered out of anger and cold from the morgue they were forced to sneak into to retrieve Ichigo's body.

"Hey, shut up you two!" Rukia turned towards Renji's voice in the corner. "I think I found his body."

"Kurosaki, you're lucky they didn't give you an autopsy yet." Ishida pushed his glasses up his nose, but that action didn't hide his smirk.

"Quit hassling me!" Ichigo dived back into his body that was lying still in the chilly room.

Renji leaned over to Rukia and muttered not very quietly, "You couldn't of picked any other guy to give your power to huh? You _had _to pick the idiot with a freakin' carrot for a head and mashed peas for brains." Rukia shivered and giggled. Renji was right for once. She really didn't make things easy for herself.

Ichigo got up and stretched to adjust his body. "We've got my body, so let's all shut up and get out of here." He pulled off his jacket (he was really happy they hadn't stripped him yet) and wrapped it around Rukia's small body, keeping his arm on her shoulder as he lead her out of the room. "I hang out with enough dead people as it is."

Rukia rolled her eyes, but let Ichigo gently guide her. Her life wasn't any easier with Ichigo, but it was always warmer. And that's why everything was worth it.

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AN: This was just random writing on my part. Hooray for randomness! 


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